Disposable absorbent article having barrier cuff strips

ABSTRACT

A disposable absorbent article includes two laterally opposing longitudinally extending barrier cuff strips attached to an interior surface of an absorbent assembly in laterally opposing attachment zones. Each barrier cuff strip may include a water-impermeable layer and may be extensible. A longitudinally extending elastic gathering member is attached to each barrier cuff strip adjacent to its proximal edge. When the article is worn, the elastic gathering members contract and raise the barrier cuff strips to form side barriers. The absorbent assembly includes an absorbent core that may contain superabsorbent particles, which may be contained inside pockets. A portion of the absorbent assembly such as the portion that lies between the barrier cuff strip attachment zones may be extensible and may include a water-impermeable layer. The laterally opposing attachment zones may act as dams preventing a lateral flow of liquid bodily waste.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to disposable absorbent articles such asdisposable diapers and other articles intended for use on incontinentpersons.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Disposable absorbent articles are designed to absorb and contain bodilywaste in order to prevent soiling of the body and clothing of thewearer, as well as bedding or other objects with which the wearer comesinto contact.

As the usage of disposable absorbent articles has expanded, theircomplexity has increased with the incorporation of additional featuresserving to enhance their performance and appearance. The costs of thematerials and the costs of the manufacturing processes have alsoincreased in conjunction with the increase in complexity. As a result,the prices at which these articles are sold have risen to levels thatmany potential purchasers around the world cannot afford to pay. Thus, aneed exists for a simple disposable absorbent article.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a disposable absorbent article includingtwo laterally opposing longitudinally extending barrier cuff stripsattached to an interior surface of an absorbent assembly in laterallyopposing attachment zones. Each barrier cuff strip may include awater-impermeable layer and may be extensible. A longitudinallyextending elastic gathering member is attached to each barrier cuffstrip adjacent to its proximal edge. When the article is worn, theelastic gathering members contract and raise the barrier cuff strips toform side barriers. The absorbent assembly includes an absorbent corethat may contain superabsorbent particles, which may be contained insidepockets. A portion of the absorbent assembly such as the portion thatlies between the barrier cuff strip attachment zones may be extensibleand may include a water-impermeable layer. The laterally opposingattachment zones may act as dams preventing a lateral flow of liquidbodily waste.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawing figures, like reference numerals identifystructurally corresponding elements, which may or may not be identicalin the several exemplary embodiments that are depicted. Some of thefigures may have been simplified by the omission of selected elementsfor the purpose of more clearly showing other elements. Such omissionsof elements in some figures are not necessarily indicative of thepresence or absence of particular elements in any of the exemplaryembodiments, except as may be explicitly delineated in the correspondingwritten description.

In the drawing figures and in the written description, lowercase lettersappended to reference numerals indicate generally symmetric elements,e.g., the left and right side edges of the absorbent assembly 200 arerespectively identified by the reference numerals 237 a and 237 b. Areference numeral without an appended lowercase letter identifies all ofthe elements to which that particular reference numeral applies, e.g., astructural element formed of individual left and right portions may beidentified in its entirety by the reference numeral X, while the leftand right portions are individually identified by the respectivereference numerals Xa and X; thus, textual reference to a structureidentified by X includes elements Xa, Xb, and so on.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an exemplary disposable absorbent article inthe form of a diaper 20, which is shown in its flat, uncontracted state,i.e., without the contraction induced by elastic members. In FIG. 1, theinterior portion of the diaper 20 that faces inwardly toward the wearerand contacts the wearer is shown facing the viewer.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the diaper 20 of FIG. 1 in its flat,uncontracted state, with the exterior portion of the diaper 20 thatfaces outwardly away from the wearer shown facing the viewer.

FIG. 3, FIG. 4, and FIG. 5 are section views of the diaper 20 of FIG. 1and FIG. 2 taken at the respective section lines 3-3, 4-4, and 5-5. Inthese section views, the interior portion of the diaper 20 that facesinwardly toward the wearer and contacts the wearer is shown facingupward.

FIG. 6 is a simplified side elevation view of an exemplary diaper 20being worn about a lower torso of a wearer.

FIG. 7 is a front elevation view of the diaper 20 of FIG. 6 being wornabout the lower torso of the wearer.

FIG. 8 is a back elevation view of the diaper 20 of FIG. 6 being wornabout the lower torso of the wearer.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of an exemplary fragment of a formed web material.

FIG. 10 is a simplified left side elevation view of an exemplary diaper20 including cohesive fastening patches being worn about a lower torsoof a wearer.

FIG. 11 is a simplified right side elevation view of the diaper 20 ofFIG. 10 including cohesive fastening patches being worn about the lowertorso of the wearer.

FIG. 12 is a simplified plan view of an exemplary disposable absorbentarticle in the form of a diaper 20, which is shown in its flat,uncontracted state, i.e., without the contraction induced by elasticmembers, having adhesive tape tabs 114 a and 114 b and fasteningsurfaces 116 a and 116 b. In FIG. 12, the interior portion of the diaper20 that faces inwardly toward the wearer and contacts the wearer isshown facing the viewer.

FIG. 13 is a simplified plan view of the diaper 20 of FIG. 12 in itsflat, uncontracted state, with the exterior portion of the diaper 20that faces outwardly away from the wearer shown facing the viewer.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an exemplary diaper 20, which is shownin its relaxed, contracted state, i.e., with the contraction induced byelastic members. In FIG. 14, the interior portion of the diaper 20 thatfaces inwardly toward the wearer and contacts the wearer is shown facingupward.

FIG. 15 is a plan view of an exemplary absorbent assembly 200. In FIG.15, the absorbent assembly 200 is shown separately from the otherportions of an exemplary diaper 20 and the interior portion of theabsorbent assembly 200 that faces inwardly toward the wearer andcontacts the wearer is shown facing the viewer.

FIG. 16 is a section view of the absorbent assembly 200 of FIG. 15 takenat the section line 16-16.

FIG. 17 is a section view of the absorbent assembly 200 of FIG. 15 takenat the section line 17-17.

FIG. 18 is a section view of an exemplary absorbent assembly 200 showingdetails of an exemplary absorbent core having particles ofsuperabsorbent material contained inside pockets

FIG. 19 is a section view of an exemplary absorbent assembly 200 havingan additional bottom sheet 226. In FIG. 19, the section is taken at asection line corresponding to the section line 4-4 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 20 is a plan view of another exemplary disposable absorbent articlein the form of a diaper 20, which is shown in its flat, uncontractedstate and with its interior portion facing the viewer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In this description, the following terms have the following meanings:

The term “absorbent article” refers to a device that absorbs andcontains liquid, and more specifically, refers to a device that isplaced against or in proximity to the body of the wearer to absorb andcontain the various exudates discharged from the body.

The term “diaper” refers to an absorbent article that is generally wornby infants and incontinent persons about the lower torso so as toencircle the waist and the legs of the wearer and that is specificallyadapted to receive and contain urinary and fecal waste.

The term “disposable” refers to the nature of absorbent articles thatgenerally are not intended to be laundered or otherwise restored orreused as an absorbent article, i.e., they are intended to be discardedafter a single use and, preferably, to be recycled, composted orotherwise disposed of in an environmentally compatible manner.

The term “longitudinal” refers to a direction running from a waist edgeto an opposing waist edge of the article and generally parallel to themaximum linear dimension of the article. Directions within ±45° of thelongitudinal direction are considered to be “longitudinal”.

The term “lateral” refers to a direction running from a side edge to anopposing side edge of the article and generally at a right angle to thelongitudinal direction. Directions within ±45° of the lateral directionare considered to be “lateral”.

The term “disposed” refers to an element being attached and positionedin a particular place or position in a unitary structure with otherelements.

The term “attached” refers to elements being connected or united byfastening, adhering, bonding, etc. by any method suitable for theelements being attached together and their constituent materials. Manysuitable methods for attaching elements together are well-known,including adhesive bonding, pressure bonding, thermal bonding,mechanical fastening, etc. Such attachment methods may be used to attachelements together over a particular area either continuously orintermittently.

The term “cohesive” refers to the property of a material that, once set,sticks to itself but does not to any significant degree stick to othermaterials.

The terms “water-permeable” and “water-impermeable” refer to thepenetrability of materials in the context of the intended usage ofdisposable absorbent articles. Specifically, the term “water-permeable”refers to a layer or a layered structure having pores, openings, and/orinterconnected void spaces that permit liquid water to pass through itsthickness in the absence of a forcing pressure. Conversely, the term“water-impermeable” refers to a layer or a layered structure through thethickness of which liquid water cannot pass in the absence of a forcingpressure. A layer or a layered structure that is water-impermeableaccording to this definition may be permeable to water vapor, i.e., maybe “water vapor-permeable”. Such a water vapor-permeable layer orlayered structure is commonly known in the art as “breathable”. As iswell known in the art, a common method for measuring the permeability towater of the materials typically used in absorbent articles is ahydrostatic pressure test, also called a hydrostatic head test or simplya “hydrohead” test. Suitable well known compendial methods for hydroheadtesting are approved by INDA (formerly the International Nonwovens andDisposables Association, now The Association of the Nonwoven FabricsIndustry) and EDANA (European Disposables And Nonwovens Association).

The terms “proximal” and “distal” refer respectively to the location ofan element relatively near to or far from the center of a structure,e.g., the proximal edge of a longitudinally extending element is locatednearer to the longitudinal axis than the distal edge of the same elementis located relative to the same longitudinal axis.

The terms “interior” and “exterior” refer respectively to the locationof an element that is intended to be placed against or toward the bodyof a wearer when an absorbent article is worn and the location of anelement that is intended to be placed against or toward any clothingthat is worn over the absorbent article. Synonyms for “interior” and“exterior” include, respectively, “inner” and “outer”, as well as“inside” and “outside”. Also, when the absorbent article is orientedsuch that its interior faces upward, e.g., when it is laid out inpreparation for setting the wearer on top of it, synonyms include“upper” and “lower” and “top” and “bottom”, respectively.

Description of Exemplary Diaper Embodiments

As shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 4, and FIG. 5, one end portionof the exemplary diaper 20 is configured as a front waist region 36, thelongitudinally opposing end portion is configured as a back waist region38, and an intermediate portion is configured as a crotch region 37.

The basic structure of the diaper 20 includes an absorbent assembly 200,which has a front edge 236, a back edge 238, a left side edge 237 a, aright side edge 237 b, an interior surface 202, and an exterior surface204. A longitudinal axis 42 extends through the midpoints of the frontedge 236 and the back edge 238 and a lateral axis 44 extends through themidpoints of the left side edge 237 a and the right side edge 237 b.

The basic structure of the diaper 20 also includes two laterallyopposing longitudinally extending barrier cuff strips designated theleft barrier cuff strip 400 a and the right barrier cuff strip 400 b.The barrier cuff strips have respective left front waist edge 436 a andright front waist edge 436 b, left back waist edge 438 a and right backwaist edge 438 b, left strip proximal edge 457 a and right stripproximal edge 457 b, left strip distal edge 437 a and right strip distaledge 437 b, left interior surface 402 a and right interior surface 402b, left exterior surface 404 a and right exterior surface 404 b. Thebarrier cuff strip distal edges 437 a and 437 b form the respective sideedges 137 a and 137 b of the diaper 20.

As shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 4, and FIG. 5, the barrier cuff strips400 a and 400 b and the lower covering sheet 25 of the absorbentassembly 200 are attached together in laterally opposing longitudinallyextending attachment zones such as the exemplary attachment zones 420 aand 420 b.

As shown in FIG. 6, FIG. 7, and FIG. 8, when the diaper 20 is worn onthe lower torso of a wearer, the front waist edges 436 a and 436 b ofthe barrier cuff strips, the front edge 236 of the absorbent assembly,the back waist edges 438 a and 438 b of the barrier cuff strips, and theback edge 238 of the absorbent assembly encircle the waist of thewearer, the side edges 137 a and 137 b of the diaper encircle the legsof the wearer, the crotch region 37 is generally positioned between thelegs of the wearer, and the absorbent assembly 200 extends from thefront waist region 36 through the crotch region 37 to the back waistregion 38.

A portion or the whole of each of the barrier cuff strips may be formedof an elastically extensible material or materials. Alternatively or inaddition, a portion or the whole of each of the barrier cuff strips maybe made extensible to a degree greater than the inherent extensibilityof the material or materials from which the barrier cuff strip is made.Similarly, a portion or the whole of the absorbent assembly may beformed of an elastically extensible material or materials. Alternativelyor in addition, a portion or the whole of the absorbent assembly may bemade extensible to a degree greater than the inherent extensibility ofthe material or materials from which the absorbent assembly is made. Theadditional extensibility may be desirable in order to allow the diaper20 to conform to the body of a wearer during movement by the wearer.Additional lateral extensibility may be particularly desirable to allowthe user of a diaper to extend the front waist region and/or the backwaist region to encircle the waist of a wearer, i.e., to tailor thewaist size and fit of a diaper to the individual wearer. Such a lateralextension of the waist region or regions may give the diaper a generallyhourglass shape and may impart a tailored appearance to the diaper whenit is worn. In addition, the additional extensibility may be desirablein order to minimize the cost of the diaper, because a relatively lesseramount of material is needed when the material is made extensible asdescribed.

For the purpose of fitting to the waist of the wearer, in someembodiments additional lateral extensibility in the absorbent assembly200 is provided only between the laterally opposing attachment zones 420a and 420 b where the absorbent assembly 200 and the barrier cuff strips400 a and 400 b are attached together, rather than in the entireabsorbent assembly.

Additional extensibility in the barrier cuff strips and/or the absorbentassembly may be provided in a variety of ways. For example, a materialor materials from which the barrier cuff strips and/or the absorbentassembly is/are made may be pleated by any of many known methods.Alternatively, all or a portion of the barrier cuff strips and/or theabsorbent assembly may be made of a formed web material or a formedlaminate of web materials like those described in U.S. Pat. No.5,518,801 issued on 21 May 1996 in the name of Chappell et al. Anexemplary fragment 300 of such a formed web material 305 is shown inFIG. 9. This formed web material 305 includes distinct laterallyextending regions 310 in which the original material has been altered byembossing or another method of deformation to create a pattern ofgenerally longitudinally oriented alternating ridges 312 and valleys314. The formed web material 305 also includes laterally extendingunaltered regions 316 located between the laterally extending alteredregions 310.

Such a formed web material 305 can be laterally extended beyond itsoriginal dimension with the application of relatively less force thanthat required to extend the same material to the same extent whenundeformed. In particular, the application of opposing divergent forcesdirected generally perpendicular to the ridges 312 and valleys 314extends such a formed web material along an axis between the opposingforces and generates a resistive contractive force, primarily in theunaltered regions 316. This resistive force is relatively smaller thanthe resistive force that is generated by the same material in itsunaltered form when extended to the same extent, at least up to anextension at which the ridges and valleys in the altered regions flattenand begin to contribute to the resistive force. Thus, such formed webmaterials exhibit an extensible behavior resembling that of traditionalelastic materials in the range of extensibility that is useful inabsorbent articles, but may be made of relatively less expensivematerials that are not inherently elastic and, thus, their use mayprovide an advantage in terms of the cost of manufacturing the absorbentarticles.

In addition, different portions of the barrier cuff strips and/or theabsorbent assembly may be formed to have different ranges ofextensibility and/or to be extensible to a greater or lesser degree whensubjected to a given level of opposing tensile forces, i.e., to berelatively more easily or less easily extensible. Such differentialextensibility may be desirable so that, for example, one or both of thewaist regions may be laterally extended relatively farther or relativelymore easily than the crotch region.

Description of the Barrier Cuff Strips

The diaper 20 includes two laterally opposing longitudinally extendingbarrier cuff strips designated the left barrier cuff strip 400 a and theright barrier cuff strip 400 b as shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG.4, and FIG. 5. The barrier cuff strips may be formed of a nonwovenmaterial, for example a synthetic nonwoven such as spunbonded or cardedpolyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, or rayon.

Alternatively or in addition, each barrier cuff strip may include awater-impermeable layer that is formed of a suitable material, forexample a film of polyethylene or another polyolefin, a microporousbreathable film, a hydrophobic nonwoven, or a film formed of coextrudedpolyolefin layers. For example, a suitable coextruded film is availablefrom Clopay Plastic Products Co. of Mason, Ohio, U.S.A. under thedesignation of M18-327. A multi-layer barrier cuff strip, such as alaminate of a film and a nonwoven, may also be suitable and may beoriented with the nonwoven disposed exteriorly to provide the feel andappearance of a cloth-like outermost layer, with the nonwoven disposedinteriorly to separate the film from the skin of the wearer, or withnonwovens disposed both exteriorly and interiorly.

The barrier cuff strips may overlap the absorbent core 250, i.e., theproximal edges 457 a and 457 b of the barrier cuff strips may lielaterally inward of the respective left side edge 257 a and right sideedge 257 b of the absorbent core 250. Alternatively, the barrier cuffstrips may not overlap the absorbent core. The barrier cuff stripspreferably are water vapor-permeable, i.e., breathable, at least in thecrotch region 37 where they form side barriers when the diaper is worn,as described in detail below.

Each of the barrier cuff strips 400 a and 400 b is attached to theinterior surface 202 of the absorbent assembly 200 in attachment zoneslocated at or adjacent to the front edge 236 and the back edge 238. Forexample, in the diaper 20 shown in FIG. 1, the left barrier cuff strip400 a is attached to the interior surface 202 of the absorbent assembly200 in attachment zones 451 a and 451 c, while the right barrier cuffstrip 400 b is attached to the interior surface 202 in attachment zones451 b and 451 d. The attachment zones may have equal areas or may beunequal in area.

Between the attachment zones, the proximal edges 457 a and 457 b of thebarrier cuff strips 400 a and 400 b remain free, i.e., are not attachedto the interior surface 202 of the absorbent assembly 200. Also betweenthe attachment zones, each barrier cuff strip preferably includes alongitudinally extensible cuff elastic member that is attached adjacentto the proximal edge of the barrier cuff strip. For example, in theexemplary diaper 20 shown in FIG. 1, elastic strands 467 a and 467 b areattached adjacent to the respective proximal edge 457 a and 457 b of thebarrier cuff strips. The cuff elastic member may be enclosed insidefolded hems, such as the hems 471 a and 471 b shown in FIG. 4.Alternatively, the cuff elastic member may be sandwiched between twolayers of the barrier cuff strip or may be attached on a surface of thebarrier cuff strip and remain exposed.

When stretched, the cuff elastic members allow the proximal edges of thebarrier cuff strips to extend to the flat uncontracted length of theabsorbent assembly, as shown in FIG. 1. When allowed to relax, the cuffelastic members contract to gather the portions of the proximal edgesalong which the cuff elastic members are attached. For example, when theexemplary diaper 20 is in a relaxed condition as shown in FIG. 14, theelastic strands 467 a and 467 b contract to gather the proximal edges457 a and 457 b of the barrier cuff strips 400 a and 400 b. Thecontractive forces of the elastic strands pull the front waist region 36and the back waist region 38 toward each other and thereby bend theabsorbent assembly 200 and the entire diaper 20 into a “U” shape inwhich the interior of the “U” shape is formed by the interior portionsof the diaper. Because the proximal edges remain free between theattachment zones, the contractive forces of the elastic strands lift theproximal edges 457 a and 457 b of the barrier cuff strips 400 a and 400b away from the interior surface 202 of the absorbent assembly andthereby raise the barrier cuff strips into position to serve as sidebarriers. The lateral spacing of the lifted proximal edges is selectedto allow the deposit of bodily wastes from the lower torso of the wearerinto the space between the raised barrier cuff strips. The width of eachof the barrier cuff strips 400 a and 400 b preferably is selected toallow the lifted proximal edges 457 a and 457 b to fit into the legcreases of the body of the wearer to form seals to help prevent theleakage of deposited bodily waste out of the diaper.

The front waist region and the back waist region can be fastenedtogether to encircle the waist and the legs of the wearer in many ways.For example, separate fastening devices such as safety pins, separatetapes, a separate tie strap or straps, and/or a separate belt can beused for this purpose. Alternatively or in addition, fastening elementscan be incorporated into the disposable absorbent article to enable auser to apply the diaper to the body of the wearer without, or inconjunction with, any separate fastening devices. Many suitable types ofsuch incorporated fastening elements are well-known, including, forexample, tapes, adhesives, adhesive tape tabs, ties, buttons, hooks,loops, snap fasteners, other forms of mechanical fasteners, cohesivepatches, etc. Some suitable mechanical fasteners may be adapted toengage with a nonwoven layer of a diaper. For example, a mechanicalfastener may engage with a nonwoven layer of a barrier cuff strip.

The fastening of the front waist region and the back waist regiontogether may be openable and refastenable to allow for the adjustment ofthe fit of the diaper on the wearer and for the inspection of theinterior of the diaper without fully removing it from the wearer.Alternatively, the fastening may be permanent, i.e., its opening mayrequire the destruction of a portion of the diaper, e.g., the tearing ofa portion of the diaper or the breaking of fused side seams.

Cohesive fastening patches may be formed by the application of acohesive material onto a substrate. The cohesive material may be appliedin any of a variety of patterns, such as a continuous film, discretedots, stripes, polygons, etc., and/or spaced and interconnectedgeometric elements describing a grid. Suitable synthetic cohesiveproducts are available from Andover Coated Products, Incorporated, ofSalisbury, Mass., U.S.A. and are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,156,424issued on 5 Dec. 2000 in the name of Taylor.

Such cohesive fastening patches may be disposed on the exterior of thediaper 20. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 5, FIG.10, and FIG. 11, cohesive fastening patches 110 a and 110 b may bedisposed on the exterior surfaces of the respective barrier cuff strips400 a and 400 b in the front-waist region 36. In this exemplaryembodiment, functionally complementary cohesive fastening patches 120 aand 120 b are disposed on the interior surfaces of the respectivebarrier cuff strips 400 a and 400 b in the back waist region 38. Whenthe diaper 20 is worn as shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, the cohesivefastening patches on the interior overlap the cohesive fastening patcheson the exterior and the cohesion of the overlapped cohesive fasteningpatches fastens the front waist region 36 and the back waist region 38together at the sides of the diaper 20. The configuration shown in thesefigures is adapted for back-over-front fastening.

Alternatively, the front cohesive fastening patches may be disposed onthe interior of the diaper 20 and the back cohesive fastening patchesmay be disposed on the exterior of the diaper 20 in order to adapt theconfiguration for front-over-back fastening. Alternatively, the cohesivefastening patches may be disposed in a reversible configuration that isadapted to provide the user of the diaper with both options forfastening, i.e., either back-over-front or front-over-back, according topersonal preference. For example, cohesive fastening patches that aredisposed on both the exterior and the interior of the diaper 20 mayallow a back cohesive fastening patch to overlap a front cohesivefastening patch or the front cohesive fastening patch to overlap theback cohesive fastening patch.

When the underlying portion of the diaper is extensible, it ispreferable that the cohesive fastening patches be similarly extensiblesuch that the underlying extensible portion of the diaper is notrestrained.

Alternatively, adhesive tape tabs may be attached to the diaper 20 andmay be used to fasten the back waist region 38 and the front waistregion 36 together. For example, as shown in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13,laterally opposing adhesive tape tabs 114 a and 114 b may be attached tothe respective barrier cuff strips 400 a and 400 b at or adjacent totheir distal edges 437 a and 437 b. Suitable adhesive tapes areavailable from the 3M Corporation of St. Paul, Minn., U.S.A., under thedesignation of XMF99121, and from the Avery Dennison Corporation,Specialty Tape Division, Mentor, Ohio, U.S.A., under the designation ofF4416.

Optionally, fastening sheets may also be attached to the diaper 20 andused in conjunction with such adhesive tape tabs. For example, fasteningsheets 116 a and 116 b may be attached onto the exterior surfaces 404 aand 404 b of the respective barrier cuff strips 400 a and 400 b as shownin FIG. 12 and FIG. 13. When a fastening sheet is provided, the adhesivetape tabs may be adhered to the fastening sheet to fasten the back waistregion 38 and the front waist region 36 together. The fastening sheetserves to distribute the tensile force transmitted by each of theadhesive tape tabs over an area larger than the adhered area of theadhesive tape tab and may, itself, bear a portion of the tensile forceand thereby relieve a portion of the force exerted on the underlyingportion of the diaper, such as the barrier cuff strips. Thus, forexample, the incorporation of such a fastening sheet may make itpossible to use a relatively inexpensive and relatively weak materialfor the underlying portion of the diaper. When mechanical fasteners areused instead of adhesive tape tabs, a fastening sheet can have a surfaceand/or elements that engage with the mechanical fastener, e.g., loopswith which hooks may engage. When the underlying portion of the diaperis extensible, it is preferable that the fastening sheet be similarlyextensible such that the underlying extensible portion of the diaper isnot restrained.

Description of the Absorbent Assembly

In the exemplary diaper 20 shown in FIG. 1, the absorbent assembly 200extends the full length of the barrier cuff strips 400 a and 400 bbetween the front waist edges 436 a and 436 b and the back waist edges438 a and 438 b. Such a full length configuration may be desirable inorder to minimize the amount of waste material and the difficultyassociated with the manufacture of the diaper 20, especially when themethod used to manufacture the diaper 20 requires the introduction ofthe material or materials for the absorbent assembly 200 in the form ofa continuous web or multiple continuous webs. Alternatively, theabsorbent assembly 200 may be shorter and extend less than the fulllength of the barrier cuff strips. Such a shorter configuration may bedesirable in order to minimize the total amount of material used and thecost of the diaper 20.

As shown in FIG. 15, FIG. 16, and FIG. 17, the absorbent assembly 200includes an absorbent core 250 that serves to absorb and retain liquidbodily waste materials. The absorbent core 250 has a front edge 256, aback edge 258, a left side edge 257 a, a right side edge 257 b, aninterior surface 252, and an exterior surface 254.

The absorbent assembly 200 may include an upper covering sheet that isdisposed in a face-to-face arrangement with the interior surface 252 ofthe absorbent core 250 in addition to a lower covering sheet that isdisposed in a face-to-face arrangement with the exterior surface 254 ofthe absorbent core 250 and the exterior surfaces 404 a and 404 b of therespective barrier cuff strips 400 a and 400 b. If both are present,such an upper covering sheet and lower covering sheet may be attachedtogether to contain the absorbent core 250 between them and thereby formthe absorbent assembly 200. For example, in the exemplary absorbentassembly 200 shown in FIG. 15, FIG. 16, and FIG. 17, an upper coveringsheet 24 and a lower covering sheet 25 are attached together at oradjacent to the side edges 237 a and 237 b of the absorbent assembly 200in attachment zones 29 a and 29 b.

The upper covering sheet is water-permeable and allows liquid bodilywaste to pass through its thickness to the absorbent core. The uppercovering sheet preferably is formed of a soft material that will notirritate the skin of the wearer, for example a synthetic nonwoven suchas spunbonded or carded polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, orrayon.

The lower covering sheet may include a water-permeable layer of anysuitable material, for example the same material as the upper coveringsheet. A portion or the whole of either or both of the upper coveringsheet and the lower covering sheet may be water vapor-permeable, i.e.,breathable.

Alternatively or in addition, the lower covering sheet may include awater-impermeable layer that is formed of a suitable material, forexample a film of polyethylene or another polyolefin, a microporousbreathable film, a hydrophobic nonwoven, or a film formed of coextrudedlayers of polypropylene-polyethylene-polypropylene. For example, asuitable coextruded film is available from Clopay Plastic Products Co.of Mason, Ohio, U.S.A. under the designation of M18-327. A multi-layerlower covering sheet, such as a laminate of a film and a nonwoven, mayalso be suitable and may be oriented with the nonwoven disposedexteriorly to provide the feel and appearance of a cloth-like outermostlayer, with the nonwoven disposed interiorly to separate the film fromthe skin of the wearer, or with nonwovens disposed both exteriorly andinteriorly.

The upper covering sheet and the lower covering sheet may extend to thesame width and the same length. Alternatively, one or more of the edgesof one of the covering sheets may lie distally relative to therespective edge or edges of the other covering sheet. For example, theupper covering sheet may extend longitudinally only to an extentsufficient to cover the absorbent core and to be attached to the lowercovering sheet adjacent to either the front or the back edge of theabsorbent core, while the lower covering sheet may extend longitudinallybeyond the upper covering sheet toward or to the adjacent waist edges ofthe barrier cuff strips. Similarly, the upper covering sheet may extendlaterally only to an extent sufficient to cover the absorbent core andto be attached to the lower covering sheet adjacent to either the leftor the right side edge of the absorbent core and the lower coveringsheet may extend laterally beyond the upper covering sheet. For example,in the exemplary absorbent assembly 200 shown in FIG. 4, the uppercovering sheet 24 extends laterally only a relatively small distancebeyond the side edges 257 a and 257 b of the absorbent core 250 and isattached to the lower covering sheet 25 in this area. The lower coveringsheet 25 in this exemplary absorbent assembly extends laterally beyondthe upper covering sheet 24 and is attached to the barrier cuff strips400 a and 400 b.

The absorbent assembly and the barrier cuff strips may be attachedtogether over any part or the whole of the length of the absorbentassembly. Preferably, the absorbent assembly is attached on its interiorsurface to the barrier cuff strips in laterally opposing longitudinallyextending attachment zones such as the exemplary attachment zones 420 aand 420 b shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 5, and FIG. 13. Theportions of the barrier cuff strips that lie outside such an attachmentpattern are not restrained by attachment to the absorbent assembly andtherefore remain extensible. For example, a relatively narrowlongitudinally extending attachment zone such as left attachment zone420 a leaves the majority of the width of the left barrier cuff strip400 a freely extensible and thereby allows extension of the left barriercuff strip 400 a in the lateral direction.

Within the extent of the attachment zones, the absorbent assembly may beattached to the barrier cuff strips continuously or intermittently. Forexample, a film of an adhesive may be applied continuously over theentire area of the attachment zones and then used to continuously attachthe absorbent assembly to the barrier cuff strips. As an alternativeexample, an adhesive may be applied discontinuously at and inside theboundaries of the attachment zones, such as in the form of dots,stripes, beads, spirals, etc., and then used to attach the absorbentassembly and the barrier cuff strips together.

In some embodiments, one or both of the longitudinally extendingattachment zones 420 a and 420 b may act as a dam that prevents thelateral flow of liquid bodily waste in a direction away from theabsorbent core toward the adjacent side edge 137 a or 137 b of thediaper. For example, in an embodiment in which the lower covering sheet25 extends laterally beyond the upper covering sheet 24, as in theexemplary embodiment of FIG. 4, and in which both the lower coveringsheet 25 and each of the barrier cuff strips 400 a and 400 b includes awater-impermeable layer, as described above, such a longitudinallyextending attachment zone acting as a dam may effectively trap liquidbodily waste materials between the lower covering sheet, the barriercuff strips, and the body of the wearer of the diaper.

The absorbent core may be attached to the lower covering sheet over anypart or the whole of the area of the absorbent core. Preferably, theabsorbent core is attached on its exterior surface to the lower coveringsheet in a cruciform attachment pattern, i.e., in an attachment patternthat forms or is arranged in a cross or “+” shape. The cruciformattachment pattern may be contiguous, i.e., all of its portions may betouching or connected throughout the pattern in an unbroken sequence, ormay include detached portions and thereby lack contiguity but still bearranged such that the shape of the overall pattern is a cruciform. Anexemplary contiguous cruciform attachment pattern 210 is shown in FIG.15, FIG. 16, and FIG. 17. When an adhesive is used for the attachment,less may be necessary in a cruciform attachment pattern than in a moreextensive attachment pattern. In addition, the portions of the lowercovering sheet that lie outside such a cruciform attachment pattern arenot restrained by attachment to the absorbent core and therefore remainextensible. In particular, a relatively narrow longitudinally extendingportion 212 of a cruciform attachment pattern 210 like that shown inFIG. 15 and FIG. 17 leaves the majority of the width of the lowercovering sheet 25 in the front waist region 36 and in the back waistregion 38 freely extensible and thereby allows extension of the lowercovering sheet 25 in the lateral direction in these regions. Arelatively wide laterally extending portion 214 of a cruciformattachment pattern 210 like that shown in FIG. 15 and FIG. 16 preventsthe portion of the lower covering sheet 25 in the crotch region 37 towhich the absorbent core 250 is attached from shifting relative to theabsorbent core 250 in that region.

Within the extent of the cruciform attachment pattern, the absorbentcore may be attached to the lower covering sheet continuously orintermittently. For example, a film of an adhesive may be appliedcontinuously over the entire area of the cruciform attachment patternand then used to continuously attach the absorbent core to the lowercovering sheet. As an alternative example, an adhesive may be applieddiscontinuously at and inside the boundaries of the cruciform attachmentpattern, such as in the form of dots, stripes, beads, spirals, etc., andthen used to attach the absorbent core to the lower covering sheet.

The absorbent core 250 includes a storage component 272 that serves toabsorb and retain liquid bodily waste materials. Suitable knownmaterials for the absorbent core storage component include cellulosefibers in the form of comminuted wood pulp, which is commonly known as“airfelt”, layers or sheets of a natural or synthetic fibrous materialor materials, a superabsorbent polymer or polymers, etc. These absorbentmaterials may be used separately or in combination. Many known absorbentmaterials may be used in a discrete form, i.e., in the form of fibers,granules, particles, and the like. Such a discrete form of an absorbentmaterial may be immobilized by an adhesive that attaches the discretepieces together to form a coherent layer or that attaches the discretepieces to a substrate layer or that attaches the discrete pieces both toeach other and to the substrate layer.

The absorbent core may include an acquisition component in addition toone or more storage components. The absorbent core acquisition componentserves to acquire deposited liquid bodily waste material and transfer itto the absorbent core storage component. Any porous absorbent materialwhich will imbibe and partition liquid bodily waste material to thestorage component or components may be used to form the acquisitioncomponent. Preferred materials for the acquisition component includesynthetic fiber materials, open celled polymeric foam materials, fibrousnonwoven materials, cellulosic nonwoven materials, and variouscombination synthetic/cellulosic nonwoven materials. For example, theacquisition component may be formed of a nonwoven web or webs ofsynthetic fibers including polyester, polypropylene, and/orpolyethylene, natural fibers including cotton and/or cellulose, blendsof such fibers, or any equivalent materials or combinations ofmaterials. Examples of such acquisition materials are more fullydescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,950,264 issued to Osborn on Aug. 21, 1990.High loft nonwoven acquisition materials suitable for the acquisitioncomponent of the present invention can be obtained from Polymer Group,Inc., (PGI), 450 N.E. Blvd, Landisville, N.J. 08326, U.S.A., under thematerial code designation of 98920.

Such an absorbent core acquisition component 290 is shown overlying theabsorbent core storage component 272 in FIG. 15, FIG. 16, and FIG. 17. Aseparation sheet 292 of, e.g., a tissue or a nonwoven material, may bedisposed between the absorbent core storage component 272 and theabsorbent core acquisition component 290 to help ensure that none of thegel formed by a superabsorbent polymer reaches the skin of the wearer.This separation sheet 292 may extend laterally beyond the side edges 257a and 257 b of the absorbent core 250 and the upper covering sheet 24may be attached to the separation sheet 292. In this arrangement, theliquid bodily waste material that is deposited onto the upper coveringsheet 24 will pass through the thickness of the upper covering sheet 24to be absorbed by the absorbent core acquisition component 290, and someor all of it may then pass through the thickness of the separation sheet292 and then be absorbed and retained by the absorbent core storagecomponent 272.

As shown in FIG. 18, in some exemplary embodiments, an absorbent corestorage component 272 may include the discrete form of an absorbentmaterial that is immobilized in pockets formed by a layer of athermoplastic material, such as a hot melt adhesive, that intermittentlycontacts and adheres to a substrate sheet, while diverging away from thesubstrate sheet at the pockets. Absorbent core components having suchstructures and being suitable for the storage of liquid bodily wastesare described in co-pending and commonly assigned U.S. patentapplication Ser. Nos. 10/776,839 and 10/776,851, both filed on 11 Feb.2004 in the name of Ehrnsperger et al. An exemplary absorbent corestorage component 272 having such a structure is shown in FIG. 18. Inthis absorbent core storage component 272, particles 270 of asuperabsorbent polymer are contained inside pockets 280 formed by alayer 275 of a thermoplastic material. The absorbent core storagecomponent may include both particles of a superabsorbent polymer andairfelt and both materials may be contained inside the pockets formed bythe layer of the thermoplastic material. Alternatively, as shown in FIG.18, an exemplary absorbent core storage component may contain no airfeltand therefore the component can be made relatively thinner and moreflexible for the comfort of the wearer. In addition, the particles ofthe superabsorbent polymer can be immobilized relatively more easily inthe absence of airfelt. As shown in FIG. 18, the layer 275 of thethermoplastic material intermittently contacts and adheres to asubstrate sheet 274 at the areas of attachment 282. Between the areas ofattachment 282, the layer 275 diverges away from the substrate sheet 274to form the pockets 280. The layer 275 may have the form of a sheet offibers of the thermoplastic material through which the liquid bodilywaste may pass to be absorbed by the particles 270 of the superabsorbentpolymer.

In FIG. 18, a separate thermoplastic layer covering sheet 276 is shownoverlying the layer 275 of the thermoplastic material. Alternatively,the separate thermoplastic layer covering sheet 276 may be omitted. Asanother alternative, two absorbent core storage components each likethat shown in FIG. 18 except for the omission of the thermoplastic layercovering sheet 276 may be superposed with one absorbent core storagecomponent inverted such that the respective substrate sheets distallyoppose each other. In such a combination of absorbent core storagecomponents, either or both of the distally opposing substrate sheets mayserve respectively as either or both of an upper covering sheet and alower covering sheet for the absorbent assembly. Alternatively, theabsorbent assembly may include a separate lower covering sheet and/or aseparate upper covering sheet.

The absorbent assembly may include an additional bottom sheet of a filmor other water-impermeable material to enhance the protection againstleakage. For example, as shown in FIG. 19, an additional bottom sheet226 of a film or other water-impermeable material may be attached insidethe absorbent assembly between the lower covering sheet 25 and theabsorbent core 250. Alternatively, the additional bottom sheet may beattached to the absorbent assembly exteriorly of the lower coveringsheet. This additional bottom sheet may extend laterally less far thaneither or both of the left side edge 237 a and the right side edge 237 bof the absorbent assembly 200, as shown in FIG. 19, or may extendlaterally to overlap one or both of the side edges of the absorbentassembly.

When such an additional bottom sheet is attached inside the absorbentassembly between the lower covering sheet and the absorbent core, theadditional bottom sheet may be attached to the lower covering sheet in acruciform attachment pattern similar to that shown in FIG. 15, thusleaving the portions of the lower covering sheet that lie outside thecruciform attachment pattern unrestrained by attachment to theadditional bottom sheet and allowing these portions to be extensible.For example, a laterally extending portion 214 of such a cruciformattachment pattern is shown in FIG. 19.

Alternatively or in addition, the additional bottom sheet in such anembodiment may be attached in such a cruciform attachment pattern to theabsorbent core, thus leaving the portions of the additional bottom sheetthat lie outside the cruciform attachment pattern unrestrained byattachment to the absorbent core and therefore allowing these portionsto be extensible. In such an embodiment, even if the additional bottomsheet is attached to the lower covering sheet in a pattern other than acruciform, the lower covering sheet is not indirectly restrained by theabsorbent core and therefore is allowed to be extensible.

Description of Shape of Article

The finished diaper may have a generally rectangular shape, as in theexemplary diaper 20 shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. Such a generallyrectangular configuration may be desirable in order to minimize theamount of waste material and the difficulty associated with themanufacture of the diaper 20. Alternatively, the diaper may have sideedges 137 a and 137 b that are not straight, but instead are curvedand/or notched, thereby giving an overall shape in plan view of anhourglass or of an “I” to the diaper 20. Such a non-rectangularconfiguration may be desirable in order to impart a tailored appearanceto the diaper 20 when it is worn. Such a non-rectangular configurationmay also be desirable in order to impart an impression that the diaper20 will fit comfortably between the legs of a wearer.

Any one of many well-known ways may be used to form a non-rectangularconfiguration of the diaper. For example, laterally distal portions maybe removed from the diaper to make its lateral dimension at and adjacentto the lateral axis 44 smaller than its lateral dimension at andadjacent to the front waist edge 436 and smaller than its lateraldimension at and adjacent to the back waist edge 438, i.e., to make thediaper narrower in the crotch region 37 than at the waist edges. Anexemplary form of such a non-rectangular configuration of the diaper isshown in FIG. 20. As shown in this figure, portions of the barrier cuffstrips 400 a and 400 b may be removed to form laterally opposing sidenotches 111 a and 111 b.

The disclosures of all patents, patent applications and any patentswhich issue thereon, as well as any corresponding published foreignpatent applications, and all publications listed and/or referenced inthis description, are hereby incorporated in their entireties herein byreference. It is expressly not admitted that any of the documents or anycombination of the documents incorporated herein by reference teaches ordiscloses the present invention.

While particular embodiments and/or individual features of the presentinvention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious tothose skilled in the art that various other changes and modificationscan be made without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention. Further, it should be apparent that all combinations of suchembodiments and features are possible and can result in preferredexecutions of the invention. Therefore, the following claims areintended to cover all such changes and modifications that are within thescope of this invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A disposable diaper having a front waist region, a back waist region, and a crotch region between the waist regions, an interior surface and an exterior surface, and comprising: an absorbent assembly having an interior surface and an exterior surface and laterally opposing longitudinally extending side edges, the absorbent assembly comprising an absorbent core having longitudinally extending side edges, a water-permeable upper covering sheet disposed interiorly of the absorbent core, and a lower covering sheet disposed exteriorly of the absorbent core, such that the absorbent core is sandwiched between the upper covering sheet and the lower covering sheet, each of the upper covering sheet and the lower covering sheet extending laterally beyond the side edges of the absorbent core, wherein the lower covering sheet forms a portion of the exterior surface; two laterally opposing longitudinally extending barrier cuff strips attached to the interior surfaces of the lower covering sheet adjacent the distal side edges of the absorbent assembly, each barrier cuff strip having an interior surface, an exterior surface, longitudinally opposing ends, a longitudinally extending distal edge and a laterally opposing longitudinally extending proximal edge, each barrier cuff strip being attached to the upper covering sheet of the absorbent assembly at points adjacent to its ends and immediately adjacent its longitudinally extending proximal edge in the front and back waist regions, but each barrier cuff not attached to the upper covering sheet in the crotch region, each barrier cuff strip further comprising a longitudinally extending elastic gathering member attached adjacent to its proximal edge, the distal edge of each barrier cuff strip disposed laterally outboard of the respective side edge of the absorbent assembly over substantially the entire longitudinal extent of that side edge, the interior surface of each barrier cuff strip forming the interior surface of the disposable diaper from the proximal edge of the barrier cuff strip to the distal edge of the diaper; wherein the proximal edge of each barrier cuff strip is disposed laterally inward of the side edges of the absorbent core; wherein the distal edge of each barrier cuff strip is non-linear when the disposable diaper is in its flat, uncontracted state; wherein a portion of each of the barrier cuff strips is disposed laterally outward of the lower covering sheet to define a first region on each of the barrier cuff strips, and wherein at least a portion of the first region on each of the barrier cuff strips is elastically stretchable in a lateral direction; and wherein a portion each of the barrier cuff strips is disposed laterally inward of the lower covering sheet to define a second region on each of the barrier cuff strips, and wherein at least a portion of the of the second region on each of the barrier cuff strips is elastically stretchable in the longitudinal direction due to the elastic gathering members.
 2. The disposable diaper of claim 1 wherein the lower covering sheet comprises a web material including at least two distinct laterally extending altered regions each containing a pattern of generally longitudinally oriented alternating ridges and valleys created by a deformation of the web material and also containing an unaltered region located between the altered regions, such that the deformed web material can be laterally extended to a given extent with the application of relatively less force than that required to laterally extend the same web material to the same given extent before the deformation.
 3. The disposable diaper of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the absorbent assembly between the barrier cuff strips is laterally extensible.
 4. The disposable diaper of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of one of the waist regions is laterally extensible to a greater degree than at least a portion of the crotch region.
 5. The disposable diaper of claim 1 wherein the absorbent assembly includes an absorbent core and a lower covering sheet at least a portion of which is disposed exteriorly of the absorbent core.
 6. The disposable diaper of claim 5 wherein the lower covering sheet is water-impermeable.
 7. The disposable diaper of claim 5 wherein the absorbent assembly also includes a water-impermeable bottom sheet at least a portion of which is disposed between the lower covering sheet and the absorbent core.
 8. The disposable diaper of claim 1 wherein the barrier cuff strips are attached to the absorbent assembly in laterally opposing longitudinally extending attachment zones.
 9. The disposable diaper of claim 8 wherein at least one of the longitudinally extending attachment zones acts as a water-impermeable dam preventing a lateral flow of water in a direction toward an adjacent side edge of the disposable diaper.
 10. The disposable diaper of claim 1 wherein the absorbent assembly includes an absorbent core storage component.
 11. The disposable diaper of claim 10 wherein the absorbent core storage component contains no airfelt.
 12. The disposable diaper of claim 10 wherein the absorbent assembly includes an absorbent core acquisition component.
 13. The disposable diaper of claim 1 further comprising at least one fastening element adapted for fastening the front waist region and the back waist region together to encircle a waist and a leg of a wearer.
 14. The disposable diaper of claim 1 further comprising cohesive fastening elements disposed on both an interior surface of the disposable diaper and an exterior surface of the disposable diaper such that the front waist region may be fastened over the back waist region or the back waist region may alternatively be fastened over the front waist region to encircle a waist and a leg of a wearer.
 15. The disposable diaper of claim 1 further comprising a fastening element adapted for fastening the front waist region and the back waist region together to encircle a waist and a leg of a wearer and including an adhesive tape tab.
 16. The disposable diaper of claim 1 further comprising a fastening element adapted for fastening the front waist region and the back waist region together to encircle a waist and a leg of a wearer and including a cohesive fastening element.
 17. The disposable diaper of claim 1 further comprising a fastening element adapted for fastening the front waist region and the back waist region together to encircle a waist and a leg of a wearer and including a mechanical fastener adapted to engage a nonwoven. 